HAVANA, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Each year, the Havana International Book Fair underscores one of Cuban society's basic beliefs, that education is not a privilege but a right.
It does that by providing books in braille or audio format for the visually impaired and free of charge.
"I come to look for CDs of books on all topics, because I prefer digital books," Bonifacio Sanchez, one of the beneficiaries of the program, told Xinhua.
"My wife asked me to find her three printed books in braille that she wants on various topics, including Chinese history and traditional Cuban cuisine," said Sanchez.
A piano tuner at Cuba's National School of Art, Sanchez said he doesn't miss a fair because both he and his wife love to read.
They aren't alone. A long line of people with canes waiting to get into Havana's historic San Carlos de la Cabana Fort, where the event is held, providing one of the most arresting images of the fair.
The initiative started in 2012 when the Cuban Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired (ANCI), in coordination with the Cuban Book Institute, saw the need to include a stand offering books in braille or audio format.
ANCI's publishing house, Ediciones Braille, provides books on diverse topics, from classic novels to contemporary literature. This year's stand features 100 copies of 19 new books, according to the organizers.
"We currently have a central library that has 4,000 books, about 2,000 in braille and the rest in audio format," Victor Adel Velazquez, another beneficiary of the program, told Xinhua.
"Today I came to look for a book by Che (Ernesto Guevara) and one of the legends of Sherlock Holmes because I really like spy stories," said Velazquez, a physical education teacher.
Also standing in line was Guillermo Rodriguez, an ANCI representative in Havana who believes the initiative has made the book fair truly inclusive and more relevant.
"Since our association was founded 43 years ago, this has been one of its main achievements towards improving the quality of life of people with visual disabilities, because everyone knows what reading represents to people; true knowledge is only acquired through reading," he said.
Maria Isabel Ruiz, an ANCI librarian, agreed.
"We are proud to be included in such an important event in our country and it is wonderful that each member can enjoy, free of charge, two printed copies of any book of their choice and as many digital copies as they want of other texts and publications," said Ruiz.
As the books in braille began to fly off the shelves, the cobblestone walkways of the old fortress filled with visually-impaired readers delving into their new publications, like most avid readers, too eager to discover what was in their pages to wait until they got home.
